GOLF DIGEST: LET TOUR -South Korean Amy Yang takes a two-stroke lead into the weekend at the S4C Wales Ladies Championship of Europe. Yang, a three-time winner on the Ladies European Tour, added a score of 65 to her opening 68 for an 11-under total of 133 after a second day of sunshine at Royal St David's Golf Club in Harlech, Gwynedd.
At one point, the 20 year old moved to 13-under-par, and nine-under for the round, but she double-bogeyed the par-four 17th hole, going from bunker to bunker. She recorded two eagles in her round, at the seventh and 13th holes, holing a 30-yard shot at the 483-yard par-five seventh hole.
“I was lucky; it bounced in,” she said. Pure skill afforded her the second eagle on 13 when she hit a rescue iron 216 yards and rolled in a beautifully judged nine-footer.
Another ANZ Ladies Masters winner, this year’s champion Australian Katherine Hull, shot a 68 to finish in second place on nine-under. Hull fired four birdies over the championship links course at the first, eighth, 11th and 16th holes and said: “No bogeys so that’s always a good day when that happens. I guess I needed to make a few more birdies to keep up with Amy.”
Rebecca Coakley shot 69 for a 143 total, while Martina Gillen also made the cut after a 72 for 147.
SENIORS TOUR:Mike Harwood made it a day to remember for his native Australia by grabbing the lead of the Bad Ragaz PGA Seniors Open.
Hardwood finished day one on six-under-par 65, one shot clear of South African John Bland, American Bob Boyd and Scotland’s Gordon Brand Jnr.
The highlight of Harwood’s round, which featured five birdies, was an eagle two at the seventh hole, with a closing bogey the only blemish.
The man from Melbourne has not registered a top-10 finish since his third place in the DGM Barbados Open on his second Senior Tour appearance in March, but is now starting to reap the rewards of some recent tinkering with his swing.
Eamonn Darcy is two off the pace on 67, with Denis O’Sullivan on 69, Jimmy Heggarty on 71 and Eddie Polland on 75.
SENIORS:In a closely contested final day's play at Prestwick, the 56-year-old Robert Vallis fired a one-over-par 73, for a 54-hole total of 224 to win the British Seniors Championship by two shots from Canada's Graham Cooke and defending Champion Paul Simson of the USA.
Irish champion Maurice Kelly returned a five-over-par 77 to share fourth place with Alloa’s Tony Stafford, who had three steady rounds of 76, 76 and 75.
On a final day of fluctuating fortunes for the leading pack Vallis made his move with a one-under back nine, highlighted a by a crucial 24-foot birdie putt on the 17th to take him into the outright lead on eight-over-par.
Vallis earns an exemption for next year’s British Senior Open Championship at Carnoustie and next month’s US Seniors Amateur.
Joint overnight leader Kelly was disappointed with his performance.
A bogey six at the par-five 7th and another dropped shot at the eight halted the Irishman’s bid for the title.
